First time as Product ManagerShobhit ChughVP Product, High Start Group@shobhitchugh shobhitchugh@gmail.com

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/47850814760834849/

About Me

Congratulations!You got your first time PM Job

It might feel like this at times

It might feel like this at times

It might feel like this at times

It might feel like this at times

But sometimes

The 4 Rs of Product Management success

Clarify your Role

Establish Relationships

Build your Reputation

Deliver Results

The 4 Rs of Product Management success

Clarify your Role

Establish Relationships

Build your Reputation

Deliver Results

Welcome to your first product management role

http://www.mindtheproduct.com/2011/10/what-exactly-is-a-product-manager/

13

Three Primary Product Management Roles

1. ADVOCATE for the Voice of the Customer in the company

2. ORCHESTRATOR who coordinates the activities of the various resources to define, develop and deliver product that customers need and generate profit for the company

3. ENTREPRENEUR who articulates the product’s vision and manages his/ her product as a business

Clarify your role!

Varies by company

Do not accept vague descriptions. Ask questions. LOTS of questions

What are the deliverables needed at each stage? How important are they?

Who does them?

Why should you them?

DecisionsWhat decisions can you make?

What decisions do you need to drive with a set of stakeholders?

The 4 Rs of Product Management success

Clarify your Role

Establish Relationships

Build your Reputation

Deliver Results

Relationships

Stakeholders

Customers

Manager(s)

Stakeholder Relationships

Establish early – first 30 days

Take all stakeholders out to lunch. Do NOT talk about product

Get to know them

Next ask them about stuff relevant to their jobsWhat are their top goals?

What does the company need to do better?

What do they need to do better?

Where does product management fit in?

Ask them who else you should talk to?

Customers

Insist that you have personal relationships with top customers

Type of relationships matter! Customers are not for dictating you requirements. You are peers. You are here to listen to their problems and help solve the ones that align with your company strategy

First go on customer meetings (early!)Go from silent listener and observer -> contributor

Then establish your own meetingsProduct council with customers

Prospect calls

One on one customer feedback sessions

http://www.pinterest.com/jefflash/product-management-comics/

ManagerGuide

How does work actually get done at the company?

What processes are important?

What meetings and decisions are important?

SupporterPromote what you are doing to the executive level

Help influence the right people

Coach. Honest about how you are doing?

Workload?

Attitude?

Results?

The 4 Rs of Product Management success

Clarify your Role

Establish Relationships

Build your Reputation

Deliver Results

Reputation

Establish your personal brand

Earn your seat at the table

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/480055641500953367/

Personal Brand

What do you want to be known as?

What activities promote it?

What activities detract from it?

Example personal brand - Strategic

What helps?Lay out vision and communicate endlessly

Outlines how do we get there

Get to the root cause of problems + solve for long term

What hurts?Jumping to action and conclusions too fast without enough thought

Focusing on next week vs. next year

Agreeing too soon

Earn your seat at the table

Everyone else is responsible for something concrete

You have a vague objective – ensure the success of the product

So you need to earn your placeMarket knowledge. Do you know customers better than anyone else?

Competitors knowledge. Are you subscribed to their blogs? Emails? Read every announcement?

Product knowledge. Do you know product in and out? Top differentiators? Challenges?

Strategy knowledge. Can you articulate how things line up with the strategy of the company?

The 4 Rs of Product Management success

Clarify your Role

Establish Relationships

Build your Reputation

Deliver Results

Results

Deliverables

Decisions

Difference

Deliverables

There is an LONG list of things you could be doing at any point in time

All of these are NOT required

Again, confirm what is critical, what is good to have, and what is useless crap that just takes your time

Decisions

What decisions can you make?Does it tie with strategy? Vision?

What you should avoid making?Tactical e.g., what bugs to prioritize

N = 1

Those you can set guidelines for

What you need to drive?

Meetings!!

4 typesShare Information

Make decision

Generate ideas

Get Feedback

Meetings!!

PrepareONE Objective

Agenda

Slides

Assume they know less than you and have forgotten EVERYTHING you spoke about the last time

Pre-brief

Manage the flowAgenda + how important is it to stick to it?

Questions from beginning or presentation first?

Send follow up notes

Difference

Making a difference comes down to one thing – FOCUS

In the beginning there is a temptation to do EVERYTHING and take on tons of new initiatives. Ask yourself for each initiative

Is it my role?

Can I make a significant difference?

Is n>1?

The 4 Rs of Product Management success

Clarify your Role

Establish Relationships

Build your Reputation

Deliver Results

Thank you so much for the standing ovation!Shobhit Chugh@shobhitchughshobhitchugh@gmail.com

What do engineers want?

Vision

Less thrashing + more clear specs

Want to know that it matters

They get blame when things go wrong but much less recognition. Recognize them. Individually

Other advice

Have a set of advisorsWithin the company

Outside the company

Senior + peers

Guide to first 90 days

30 days – observe, learn

60 days – participate

90 days – act, change